lr^\
|'TrE'(Z)ld Spanish Trail
-'.(fFLOrjIDA TO CALIFORNIA
Fg^^hCg,,,..,; d«»Iv.a..4,0"•-/
Th e Old Span i s^TraTc^AsVn
^ -HtAOSUARTCRS. SAN ANTON IO.TEXAS
TELEPHONE CROCKETT !
Mr. II.. Ayres, Battle House, Mobile, Alabama.
I returned last night about midnight fro;.: the San Diego inspection. 7:e found the people at Simmons and Clegg right in for this route. Then I found would have 32 miles in ruval County and that Senator Pharr representsd about. 75 or 50 per cent of the entire county -..hen it comen to political matters. I went *ic /a to the Senator's ranch below Benavides, had a two hour conference, and found him opposed to the proposition at first but was for it if it would come thru Benavides direct to	furrif.s.	I told him this was absolutely out of the question,
i.2 "Inaily agreeu to advise me by wire Saturday morning, saying he wanted t talk it over with some of his people first, 7y opinion is he wants to talk it over with Judge Beurmaster with a view of routing it via J urdunton, Tilden to San Vi..go and is this is hie scheme it won't hurt the cause a particle. I would regret seeing our friends at Campbellton disappointed mors than anything else.
The Jim ’"ells people will gc before the Highway Department Monday and will got an allotment of aid and their work can be started at once. The Highway Commission has agreed the Hathis-Sro.vnsville route can st,ana for the Houston designation regardless of the outcome of the San Antonio division. So the people atAlice are very much delighted and they are now giving the Old Spanish Trail credit and great praise for the fine work along this line.
On account of the severe cold snap the Doctor and myself will have to postpone our trip a few days, but our intentions are to get.some money out of Beaumont as quick as possible and get Ft. Bend organized.
I haven't had an opportunity to talk with the Doctor since-my return, somebody is going to have to get some money in here in the next ten days and if you. know of any way of getting another .*300, let's have it. X!e are going after Beaumont awfully hard for a thousand.
.Feel a little uneasy about Liberty, but here's hoping they will put it over .
Yours of the 17th in which you state that you are running into some serious matters is no surprise to me. You suggest I refer to the map of Alabama with reference to the route .across Baldwin County to Pensacola. I would suggest that you put Pensacola on a tourist loop and let the people a little further up in the state have the Pain Line even tho it adds a few miles to the distance. It would probably be far better in the long run. Even railroads don't attempt ro run in straight lines when it is cheaper to go around, or serves more people.
January 20th, 1023
PRESIDENT-DR. FRED B. JOHNSTON.sanantomio.texas	MANAGING	DIRECTOR-H.	B.	AYRES,	san antonio. Texas
VICE PRESIDENTS:	SECRETARY—HERBERT BAYLISS, LAKE CHARLES. LA.
FLORIDA___F W MARSH PENSACOLA FLORIDA	TREASURER—M. G. McNAIR. GULFPORT. MISS.
ALABAMA-JOHN CRAFT*. MOBILE. ALABAMA	FIELD	ENGINEER-HARRY	LOCKE.	LOS	ANGELES. CALIF.
EAST TEXAS—W. E. LEA, ORANGE. TEXAS	H.	A.	McOONALD. BEAUMONT. TEXAS
WEST TEXAS—WALTER SCHREINER. KERRVILLE, TEXAS	J.	C.	BAUMGARTEN.	SCHULENBURG.	TEXAS
WESTERN—A. H. GARONER. TOMBSTONE. ARIZONA	MRS.	JULIE	RIEGLER.	SAN	ANTONIO.	TEXAS